


Constellations

by hamstercheese7



Category: One Piece
Genre: Astronomy, Chocolate, M/M, Nervousness, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, accidental date, meteor shower
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:06:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29486502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamstercheese7/pseuds/hamstercheese7
Summary: What ever possessed Koby to let Helmeppo convince him into buying a box of chocolates?!In which Koby meets Drake at an observatory on Valentine's Day.
Relationships: Coby/X Drake
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	Constellations

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Late Valentine's Day!

The sounds of excited chattering slowly began to fill the air as the sun finally set behind the horizon. The night was clear, no clouds to block the view. The open air plaza at the top of the mountain was gradually filling up. 

The tram up to the top brought small groups of people from all over the surrounding archipelago every few minutes. Koby leaned against the scratchy stucco outer wall of the observatory next to a tall planter. 

He peeked around the corner, watching the tram, his eyes jumping from person to person. He pursed his lips lightly and looked straight ahead again, out across the island, the twinkling lights of hundreds of homes giving the air a slight aura. 

Drake wasn’t here yet. Koby shoved his hand in his pocket, feeling the small box there for the hundredth time. “I can’t believe it’s so clear! How lucky!” came a woman’s excited voice. Koby’s eyes flicked to a woman with a staff badge setting down a telescope, her thick glasses nearly sliding off her nose. 

“Right? What a good omen! The shower starting on such a night will bring good luck,” her very tall friend said with a grin. The other woman gave her a look. “Oh yes, Marianne, very scientific. Though, with it falling on Valentine’s Day, the observatory should be able to make a little extra money tonight. I hope. We could use it.”

“We could always use it. You done with this one? We need to get the other telescopes set up.” Marianne rolled her eyes and patted the heavy case she was holding in one hand.

The two docents moved away. Koby gazed around the corner at the tram once more, and was yet again disappointed. Though he was also a little relieved as he fingered the box in his pocket again. God what had possessed him to let Helmeppo talk him into buying a box of chocolate?! 

‘He’s deep undercover, Helmeppo, he probably isn't even aware it’s Valentine’s Day!’ he dragged a hand down his face. ‘All the more reason to get him something. Make him feel normal for five minutes.’ 

Koby hated his inner Helmeppo sometimes. “You don’t have to go through with it,” he muttered to himself after checking for Drake again. Nothing. A small crowd had now gathered in the center of the plaza, waiting excitedly for the assortment of telescopes to finish getting set up. 

His hands started sweating as he glanced at the make up of the crowd. Couples. Lots of them, holding hands and giving each other shy looks, or leaning against one another. People on first dates, or date nights away from the kids, or holding wine bottles in nice dresses and suits. 

Drake was going to think he was coming onto him. ‘Not that that would be a bad thing, or entirely wrong,’ whispered Mind-Helmeppo. Koby made a strangled sound, his face heating up. “You are here on business,  business Koby,” he grumbled to himself. 

“That we are,” came a voice from his left. 

Koby stopped breathing for a second, nearly jumping out of his skin. He turned and looked up into the face of his superior officer. Drake gave him a small grin. Koby’s heart stuttered back to life.

“S-sir! Good to see y-you!” he stammered out. Drake looked at him, a waiting expression on his face. Koby stared at him. Drake made a little “go on” gesture. Did he want something? Did he know Koby had gotten him chocolate?! For a millisecond, he was filled with panic before it clicked. “Oh right, uh, “peony”,” he scratched the back of his head. The corner of Drake’s mouth tilted upward in a lopsided smile. 

“Carnation,” he said quietly. There was a commotion behind them as the telescopes were finally available to the public. “Oh! Let’s go snag a spot in line!” Koby was surprised by the level of excitement in Drake’s voice. Normally he sounded tired, or depending on the news he was bringing, irritated. 

Koby followed him into the small crowd, lining up closer to the back. “I’m going to be trying out for the Tobi Roppo, Kaido’s put out a hit on the Cobras, a new world crew that sank one of his shipments of SMILE in a fire fight,” Drake murmured quietly. 

Koby glanced up at him and frowned. “It’s good you’ll be moving up, any clue on the source of SMILE yet?” discussing work calmed his heartbeat, and he found himself easily leaning against the taller man, looking like just another couple out to watch the meteor shower. 

“No, not yet, hopefully I’ll have something better the next time we meet, once I’m Tobi Roppo,” he muttered. Koby nodded. A telescope opened up and Drake moved forward quickly, beating out another couple who was walking towards it. 

He grinned as he leaned down to look through the eye pieces. Koby looked up towards the sky, a few meteors streaking by so quickly he almost missed them. He fingered the chocolate in his pocket again. “Wow, you can really see Gamma Draconis tonight…” Drake said, hushed excitement in his voice. 

Koby had no idea what star that was. “Which one?” he asked. Drake looked away from the eyepiece and moved, letting Koby look. The stars looked like slightly larger versions of themselves, but they were pretty. 

“It’s part of the Draco constellation, that’s that one there,” his hand was now on Koby’s shoulder as he leaned down to Koby’s height and pointed north. Koby swallowed. “You can see it from most places during the year, but it’s super clear tonight, unlike Auriga, which is a winter constellation, that’s that one there...” Drake proceeded to point out constellation after constellation to him.

There was a joy in his voice that Koby found infectious. The way he smiled took years off his face, and the bright look in his eye was refreshing. He didn’t appear to mind when Koby asked him questions, or struggled to make out the shapes Drake drew in the air, trying to explain the constellations. “You know a lot about astronomy,” he said with a laugh after a while. 

Drake scratched the back of his head. “Y-yeah, well, space is cool,” he grumbled. Koby grinned. 

“Yeah, yeah it is…” he trailed off, just now noticing that a large portion of the crowd had headed home, leaving only the people who really loved the night sky hanging about. 

They looked at each other, their faces still close together because of the telescope. His fingers brushed against the box in his pocket, the movement catching Drake’s eye, because of course it did. Mind-Helmeppo laughed at him. Koby’s mouth went dry as his heart leapt into his throat. Drake looked back up into his face, and Koby summoned every bit of courage he had and pulled the small box out of his pocket, his hand shaking. 

“U-um, it’s Valentine’s Day and I dunno, I just thought, um, uh, here!” he shoved the box at him like it was a thousand degrees. Drake took it and lifted it up into the low light from the lanterns behind them by the tram. His eyebrows shot into his hairline, and he looked quickly back at Koby’s face then away. Koby stared as Drake’s face turned a shade of red even visible in the near darkness. 

“I, um, t-thanks. I d-didn’t even realize it was Valentine’s Day, I d-don’t actually remember the last time I got anything for it, um, I uh, I didn’t g-get you anything, not that you wanted anything, or w-whatever. I uh…” he was rambling, the first time Koby had ever heard him do so. Better yet, Drake stammered as bad as he did when he was embarrassed! Koby smiled. It was worth giving him the chocolate just to learn that. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said softly. Their eyes met before Drake’s bounced to their feet. “We c-can share, after all,” Koby added, tugging on the bottom of his jacket, his palms sweating. “Y-yeah, g-good idea,” Drake rubbed the back of his neck. A ridiculously bright meteor flashed by overhead and they both looked up in awe. 

“Wanna...stay out here a while longer and show me some more constellations?” Koby asked gently. Drake gazed at him and then smiled shyly and gestured back towards the telescope. As the night wore on, his fingers slowly intertwined with Koby’s as the stars revolved slowly overhead.

**Author's Note:**

> How have I never written these two before? They are the biggest dorks. I love them.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and you can find me on twitter @buggyisbest!


End file.
